There’s nothing like a good love story—especially one fueled by corporate greed. “In a way, it kind of mimics American business tactics,” says singer/guitarist Ralph “Ralphie” Malanga about “My CEO,” the new single from Cathedral Ceilings’ upcoming LP, La La La…Whatever, out September 6 on Dromedary Records. “It’s loud. It’s bullyish. It leans heavily on outside influence. It only cares about the end result—which is, ‘Hurry up and finish so I can go and count my money.’”
And then there’s that monster riff—an obvious (and acknowledged) nod to Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen. “The melody distracts you from the true damage being inflicted,” says Malanga.
No-frills East Coast adherents to the Midwestern post-punk and hard-rock aesthetic of bands like Cheap Trick, the Replacements, Smashing Pumpkins and Soul Asylum, the three veteran rockers in Cathedral Ceilings have present-day roots in New Jersey and New York’s Hudson Valley. Malanga got his feet wet in ’90s punk outfit Footstone. He also remains an active member of Stuyvesant, Dromedary’s flagship act. Nick “Nicky” D’Amore is the former drummer for well-regarded Jersey City shoegazers Overlake, and he’s also one-half of politically charged thrash duo Worldsucks. Bassist Tom “Tommy” Diello has played with Bad Karma and other hardcore bands.
The three initially came together as a side outlet for anything Malanga deemed inappropriate for Stuyvesant. Over the last decade or so, Cathedral Ceilings has evolved into a full-fledged power trio with notable onstage chemistry, making it official with the release of Summer Of Misguided Dynamite in 2022. That album’s two singles, “Thanks For The Guitar, Mommy” and “I’m In A Band,” showcase the band’s mildly absurd “dad rock” sense of humor. Interestingly, Cathedral Ceilings also share a producer—Tom Beaujour—with Nada Surf and Aeon Station.
“The cool thing about ‘My CEO’ is that the more you listen to the song, the more Ceilings Bucks you can earn,” says Malanga. “Then you can redeem your Ceilings Bucks for cool Cathedral Ceilings merchandise.”
Though we’re skeptical about the Ceiling Bucks, we’re proud to premiere the video for “My CEO.”
—Hobart Rowland
